SLO County District 3 supervisor candidates face off on homelessness, housing and Diablo

District 3 incumbent Adam Hill and challenger Stacy Korsgaden debated how they would address the top issues in the county if elected to the Board of Supervisors in March at forum sponsored by New Times on Wednesday.

Hill, a Democrat, has had a seat on the board for the past 12 years. Korsgaden, a Republican and an insurance agent, said she’s running because she felt that Hill was not representing her and the entire community.

Between small jabs at one another, the two candidates discussed issues regarding the county’s homeless population, affordable housing and economic development following the closure of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, among other topics.

Here’s what they said:

Approaches to helping the homeless

Homelesness in San Luis Obispo County rose 32 percent from 2017 to 2019, according to the latest Homeless Point In-Time Census Survey. Both candidates said the issue was critical and is at the forefront of their campaigns.

Korsgaden said she would like to improve communication around the issue, referencing the controversial proposal for a Hillside Church Homeless Shelter that divided the board in 2019.

After the Board of Supervisors approved $2.6 million for the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition, the coalition bid on a location contested by the surrounding community. After six months, the coalition dropped the bid and purchased a lot at 855 4th St. in Pismo Beach.

“Government, who is meant to serve the people, did not communicate with literally the community that it was destined to serve,” Korsgaden said. “Yes, we need to help the homeless population, but at the same time, the government’s role is to protect its citizens.”

Korsgaden said she has fresh new ideas about how to shrink the homeless population, but she ran out of time before diving into the details of her plan.

Despite the rise in the homeless population, Hill said San Luis Obispo County is better off than most. He said the solution is to continue to dedicate more resources toward the issue.

“We can’t just help people. We have to protect the community. And if you’ve been to other communities, you realize we’re doing a pretty good job of that,” Hill said

Hill, who advocated for the Hillside Church shelter, said there are currently more resources for the homeless population than ever before. Hill highlighted the 40 Prado Detox Center in San Luis Obispo, the first funded by the county.

“The reason why we have homelessness for the first time as a budget priority in the county is because of the work I and others who are part of our homeless oversight council are doing,” Hill said.

When asked about mental health issues and substance abuse treatment, Hill said it was intertwined with homelessness.

Hill said that through the Mental Health Services Act, the county has been able to use funds to open up a crisis center and to train first responders.

Korsgaden countered that the money in reserves could be used more efficiently to fund more programs. She cited a 2018 state auditor report, finding that San Luis Obispo had more than $2.8 million in reserves for the fund.

Hill argued that the reserves are used to keep the new and existing programs running in case there is a lack of funding in future years.

Affordable housing and infrastructure

Affordable housing was another hot topic of debate.

In 2019, the Board of Supervisors voted to update the inclusionary housing ordinance, which requires developers to build affordable units or pay fees that go toward their construction.

Hill said fees have been the only steady source of funding for affordable housing projects in the county. He said he has been working with the city of San Luis Obispo on how to go about creating diversity within the types of housing in the county.

“We should be looking at things like fees on second homes, fees on vacation rentals, which are a real problem for our housing,” Hill said.

Korsgaden disagreed, saying that “California is fee-ing us to death.”

“If you lower the fees, more houses will be built. Governments do not build houses. Contractors and builders do,” Korsgaden said.

She said prior to building more, she would like to focus on the county’s roads and infrastructure. She also noted that traffic is a big concern, based on her conversations with community members.

Korsgaden said she would “knock on the door of the state” and ask for money from the gas tax to widen Highways 101 and 227.

Korsgaden said many community members in the Davenport neighborhood said they do not support the idea of adding roundabouts to Highway 227.

Hill said plans to improve infrastructure are already in the works, but he feels the community should pass the Self-Help Tax so more money can be dedicated to roads and traffic.

Economic development following the closure of Diablo Canyon

As Diablo Canyon’s closure looms ahead, the Board of Supervisors faces the challenge of finding a new source of secure jobs and mitigating the economic impact as much as possible.

“No one has done more for our economy on jobs than I have on the time that I have been on the Board of Supervisors,” Hill said.

He said that while the loss will be tremendous to the local economy, he has been a part of the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport growth and has helped boost the local tech industry.

Hill said to mitigate the impact of job losses, he has put effort into creating a partnership with the Cal Poly Hothouse, the Economic Development Project and the Hourglass Project. The Hourglass Project is an economic development organization analyzing the region’s future business opportunities once Diablo Canyon shutters in 2025.

Hill said that moving forward, it is important that the jobs surrounding the plant stay local for as long as possible. He said he hopes to protect the land for public use once the facility is decommissioned.

“The most important thing is to ensure — and that’s why I work with our trade unions to do this — to ensure that local workers who work at that plant now will be the ones that take it apart,” Hill said.

Korsgaden said the efforts have not been enough. She said she would have fought harder against the closure. Hill rebutted, saying they were not given a choice.

Both Korsgaden and Hill said the Diablo Canyon land would make for a great park and public land use. In addition to a park, Korsgaden said she would like to see another economic engine that could replace the loss of jobs to fill the space.

“I don’t know what it’s going to be in the future when it comes to jobs, but it’s the biggest concern of our local area and I know how to fight for jobs, how to keep jobs, and I feel that what’s been done in the past is not sufficient,” Korsgaden said.

Public health, economy concerns at Oceano Dunes

Korsgaden said she doesn’t want to see the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, another economic driver, disappear.

Korsgaden said the controversy surrounding the Oceano Dunes was a main factor in her decision to run for a board position.

“We have to be concerned about public health. That’s a primary role of government. But what about the health of our economy?” Korsgaden said.

California State Parks agreed to close down around 48 acres of the vehicle area by the end of 2019, as part of its stipulated abatement order to reduce dust emissions by 50% by 2023. Korsgaden said she doesn’t think this is the only way to mitigate the public health issue.

Korsgarden argued that although public health is important, the dunes are a vital economic engine that the community cannot afford to lose.

“What is so maddening to me is at a time when we are losing jobs at our Diablo Canyon, I could find no effort whatsoever to protect our jobs from gas stations to restaurants to hotels,” Korsgarden said.

Korsgaden said the dunes brought in $243 million annually, according to a 2018 study.

Hill, on the other hand, said there is no choice in the situation.

“As for the dunes issue, it’s been one of the disgraces in our local community. There is nothing more important than public health, nothing. And that is what it ultimately comes down to,” Hill said.

Hill also said there hasn’t been an economic boom in Grover Beach or Oceano.

Other topics of debate

The two candidates also addressed questions surrounding the county’s cannabis industry, the Avila Beach city plan and the contentious state of the board.

Hill admitted that the board has handled the cannabis industry poorly and that he would like to find a way to support the new industry while maintaining established industries. Korsgaden shared a similar sentiment.

New Times will hold a District 5 debate between incumbent Debbie Arnold and challenger Ellen Beraud on Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors chambers in San Luis Obispo.

This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 12:05 PM.